


Open skies

by taotrooper



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Banter, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Gen, Mutual Pining, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-15
Updated: 2017-04-15
Packaged: 2018-10-19 08:46:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10636410
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/taotrooper/pseuds/taotrooper
Summary: The first day after leaving the Castle is exhausting for Zelda, but Link is there to make her feel more comfortable as she rests and gets used to normal life again. As the night advances, he also feels more relaxed around her.





	

She stared at the horizon, her heart sorting itself out just as the sky cleaned up from the malice. An instant ago, when she had used her power to seal the beast for good, gold had inundated everything. The sky above Hyrule Castle went back to purple tones, then it slowly went to grays and then soft blues, as it tried to remember how it used to look like. She, too, had to get used to using her own body once again, to think about things that weren't holding the evil back or believing in the hero. She was standing on her feet again, under gray clouds that struggled to turn as white as her dress, as clear as she wanted her feelings to be.

"I've been keeping watch over you all this time..." she said, knowing he was listening closely to her words. He had listened to her every word after his awakening, but this was different, this was personal. It wasn't an advice or an instruction, but her convictions.

She heard steps and the rattling of metal towards her, but she kept talking with her back on him.

"I've witnessed your struggles to return to us as well as your trials in battle. I always thought —no, I always believed— that you would find a way to defeat Ganon." She turned around, slowly. Blades of grass touched her ankles and calves, an old sensation made new again. There he was, attentive, his own blade sheathed on his back. "I've never lost faith in you over these many years..." She put her hands over her chest; putting infinite gratitude into words, both hers and the kingdom's, was not easy. She decided to keep it short. "Thank you, Link... the hero of Hyrule."

She finally gathered the courage to look into his eyes for the first time in a century. She smiled, but the winds of doubt swept it away just as quick. Yet she wanted to believe, so she fought against the frown and the sigh.

"May I ask... Do you really remember me?"

She waited for the answer, her heart beating at the sight of him, as dashing and quiet as she remembered him. It was curious she would find this scarier than the intense battle that had taken place. Calamity Ganon was like the palm of her hand after so long, but Link... Strands of long blond hair danced with the breeze. He took his time, staring at her as well. Once upon a time, that would have driven her crazy. She had always been impatient by nature, but she would gladly give him as much time as he needed. She knew patience already.

"Yes, I do," he finally said. "I remember you more than I remember myself... Princess Zelda."

She laughed in relief. Her name on familiar lips, she had missed such a simple thing so. She would accept it even if Link had no idea of who she was, but then again, he was all she had left from her old life. That little selfish desire might be justified, just for that day. The first day after destiny was fulfilled.

"Is he...?"

"Calamity Ganon? Yes, so it seems. You've done it!"

"We," he corrected her. "We six. And you did the most. Thank you."

"Link..." She closed her eyes, trying not to soak on the compliment. _Fixing your own failures doesn't count as heroism_ , she thought. Still, the thanks warmed her ancient soul, and he made a point she agreed with. "Yes, we all helped. Our friends have poured all their strength into their support, despite... the losses."

For a beautiful day that should be celebrated, the breeze was certainly cold on her arms.

Link walked past her and stared at the castle doors. She turned as well and joined him, her heart in conflict. It had been her home, then her cage, and then something akin to a common tomb. It was hard to say goodbye, but it was painful to even look at it after a century of being trapped between walls of stone, between the airs of malice, between the bones of her dead ones.

_Let's go_ , Link told her with his blue eyes. Birds chirped nearby, urging them with their songs of encouragement. She walked away with her knight behind her. Old sandals echoed on stone floors. Walking felt strange. Breathing pure air also felt strange. The air... it felt full of energy. She stopped and looked back once more. Presences had been around the tall towers but they had vanished before she could glance at them. Instead, blue petals just like the silent princess' rained on them.

_Father... Dear friends... Please bless us and finally find peace._

 

* * *

 

Zelda brought it unto herself when she insisted to walk on her feet instead of riding on the back of Link's horse or using the Sheikah Slate. She hadn't expected to be this out of shape, falling behind to grasp for breath like a child every few minutes. Her feet hurt under the straps of her sandals. But Link didn't seem annoyed. After a while, he called her with his hand and brought her to an abandoned pan over an extinguished campfire, hidden between the trees.

"I am so sorry for slowing us down," she apologized while he set his things on the ground.

"Why?" He looked at her. "You just used all your power, of course you're tired. We both are."

He was tired? She had assumed he wasn't since he could keep on and on. But it made sense for him to be exhausted, by all means. The feat was astonishing even for someone of his strength, not to mention the emotional burden. Slightly ashamed for not realizing it, her cheeks flushed as she sat. The grass tickled her legs and the trees' shades lulled her to sleep, while she admired the beauty of her broken homeland.

When she woke up, the sky was dark and the smell of food filled the air. She felt hot and stiff. When she looked down, she saw a coat over her body like a blanket.

"This..."

"Warm doublet," he explained over the sizzle of the fire. "You were shivering, so... You can have it if you want."

"Is that alright?"

"Yup, I bought a better outfit for the cold anyway."

"Thank you." She put it on over the prayer dress. It was large for her, but it didn't matter much. Zelda could feel the familiar spiritual presence in its fibers. "Father gave it to you, didn't he? I will treasure it." He blinked; perhaps he had forgotten how he got it, or he was surprised she wanted to cherish something from the king. She didn't know, but that's how it usually was with Link. She glanced at the plates over the ground. "So all this food, are you trying to prepare a celebratory feast? This is the fourth dish."

"No, I just don't know what you like, so..." So he was giving her choices. That's right, he still had amnesia.

"Are you planning to eat the rest, you glutton?" she teased.

"...Some. I'll save the others for later."

"I see! That's practical and wise!"

In the end he cooked six recipes. Eating was another thing she had to get used to. Zelda could vaguely remember the exquisite dishes the royal chef would make for her and her father, the beautiful presentation of the table. But the taste of the fancy delicacies was hazy in her memories. Everything that wasn't bile and ash and blood in her mouth was, perhaps.

She tried a bit of every dish. Link didn't have a full set of cutlery; she had to eat some things with her hands, which was more fun than she expected. Everything about that meal was memorable. All flavors were bound to be a new pleasure for her tongue, a new discovery awaiting the research. She didn't recall that meat could be so juicy, that rice could be so fulfilling, that soup could be so creamy, that fruits could be so sweet.

"Exquisite. Actually, this is surprising," she smirked. "You have become quite the cook!"

"Uh, I don't usually do most of these..." he smiled back shyly, caressing the back of his head. "I just slap some meat skewers or roast hearty radishes or durians. Get things done quickly."

"So you don't experiment like this when it's just yourself?"

"Sometimes." He stuffed his mouth with rice and mumbled something.

"I beg your pardon?"

Link swallowed and tried again. "You were right about hot-footed frogs, though."

"I knew it!" Her face lit up. "Oh, it makes me glad that you have been testing the properties of elixirs! Have you tried other species of frogs?"

He nodded and then stared at Zelda's face with a pleased, content expression. Even lovingly, perhaps? Maybe that's what the girl wanted to see so she wasn't sure. She stared back for a few seconds, not tired at all of looking at him. His serious eyes, his messy golden locks, his long ears, his silent lips, his proud chin... She could still see her beloved friend, her beautiful knight in there. Since he woke up he had become a wild, sloppy boy with a knack for the unconventional, sure, but she didn't mind the change. If anything, it was refreshing to see him so alive. His courage, kindness, and sense of duty were still alive and strong, so it shouldn't matter.

The peaceful smile as he looked at her was a welcomed change of pace, even if the intrigue was starting to get to her.

"What?" she laughed. "What is it?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing of the sort!" Her eyebrows rose. "You're thinking of something but you remain silent to keep appearances, aren't you?"

"..."

"Say it, go on. I believe we're past formalities after all these events. Besides, I've noticed you're a tad more communicative lately. So you can tell me anything and I won't censure you for your thoughts."

It took a while for Link to say it and he had to take a deep breath before he murmured one single word:

"Nerd," he said, not without affection.

That wasn't the heartfelt têtê-à-têtê about his feelings that she had expected, but it amused her regardless.

"Cheeky!" she gasped in fake outrage and grasped her chest with one hand. "Thank you very much, as I may be a nerd but I'm quite proud of it!"

Then it happened. At first he bit his lower lip. His torso started to shake. He soon let them all out, joyful chuckles that could be overheard over the hoots from the owls and the chirps from the restless crickets. It was contagious, also. Zelda's giggles soon joined in, charged with all her positive emotions through the day: the courage, the resolution, the satisfaction, the relief, the peace, the curiosity... the love.

She had done two astonishing things in a matter of hours: sealing the Calamity and making the Hero laugh. Perhaps she had grown to be less of a failure, after all.

"There she is, I recognize her," he nodded when they calmed down, while he packed the extra food. "The girl from my memories."

Zelda's heart raced as fast as the horse sleeping next to the camp had during their fight. Perhaps it was a bad idea to give him free reign to express whatever was in his mind, if he was going to be so open about her. Oh, she might be over 100 years old, but her soul was still a teenager's in so many areas. She went back to the teasing, not knowing how else to handle that. His fault for saying things in ways that were easy to misinterpret.

"So you remember me as a nerd? Well, it could be much, much worse."

"It's... no, not just... hmmm... like the sun?"

Zelda blinked. Link wanted to say more, but he suddenly seemed too embarrassed to be coherent. What was that about the sun? What on Hylia's name did he remember? She didn't push it, though. His communication issues were not something to solve with one blow. He was still learning. Baby steps. They both had to get used to so much...

"It's alright, it was just banter. Hey, do you have any shoes that might fit me? Just borrowing for a bit until I can get some boots, please. These cursed sandals are killing my feet!"

Quickly, Link reached for his backpacks and rummaged through too many outfits. How he could carry so much with him was a mystery that she was willing to solve one day. It wasn't just the raw strength, but also the space!

She suddenly found footwear hanging over her nose. They smelled, but she was willing to let that aside.

"Gerudo slippers...?"

"The only vai... uh, women's shoes I have."

"I saw." She grabbed them and took out one sandal. Maybe it was as retaliation for calling her a nerd and saying those ambiguous phrases, but she decided to add as she tried a slipper on: "You looked really cute in that outfit. Oh, it's a couple of sizes too big, it seems. Here you go, thanks."

She handed the shoes back. To her surprise, Link seemed shocked and flustered. But why, didn't he waltz through a town wearing that with no shame? Wasn't he used to people admiring his good looks? Was it different because it was her...? Oh, she was getting her hopes up and that was not good. He might be suddenly embarrassed because she saw most of his crazy adventures, right? Right?

This boy was bad for her heart.

Luckily he snapped out of it fast and took out a pair of Hylian trousers with its boots from his luggage.

"Uh, they're still big but won't fall off."

"Thank you, Link." Zelda got up and went behind a tree to put everything on. The boots were loose inside but adjustable, and the trousers included a belt. She felt much less naked now. "I'll take good care of your clothes until I can get my own."

"No rush..." she heard from the campfire, and a yawn afterwards.

"Even after sleeping all afternoon," Zelda said as she sat down next to him, "I could still sleep tonight like a log. Must be your feast of a dinner."

"You haven't slept in 100 years, right?"

"I was in a magical state of suspension where time didn't pass for me but..."

"State of suspension?"

"...Fine, no. Meanwhile, you only slept in the past 100 years."

"We need rest."

"Heh, I guess. I'm getting nerdy again, aren't I?" She yawned.

"Ah. I have no pillows, my lady."

"Do you..." she blushed. "Do you mind if I use you as pillow for tonight, then?"

As a reply, he earnestly patted himself as encouragement. She settled her head on the curve of his shoulder. He was softer than she expected.

"So much to do... but tomorrow, I wish to go to Kakariko Village, if it's alright." She hadn't realized she had assumed he would travel with her, once again the shadow to her lights, the light to her shadows. But there was no problem, as Link was of the same mind.

"Impa?"

"Yes, Impa."

"She'll be happy," he smiled.

"I have to visit Purah and Robbie as well, but she comes first. It will hurt, seeing her so old, but I owe it to her."

Link nodded, which rocked her head along. He was so comforting to her. Exhaustion took over her and her eyelids started to shut down.

"Good night, Link."

"Rest well, Zelda," he whispered. She felt nimble, callous fingers caressing her head and combing her hair. In any other time that would have set her heart aflutter, but that tenderness just made her relax and fall into a peaceful slumber with no nightmares.

Her duty might not be over but everything was alright, and she deserved the fleeting rest and the happiness.


End file.
